It Looks Like Raging Hockey Fans Destroyed An LAPD Drone Last Night

Multiple videos have been posted online showing what uploaders described as hockey fans destroying a Los Angeles Police Department drone outside the Staples Center Friday night after the LA Kings won the NHL's Stanley Cup.

Riot police were called in to break up what the LA Times described as a "melee" outside the arena following the King's victory over the New York Rangers.

In one clip posted online, a drone can be seen hovering over the crowd of hockey fans before it was knocked out of the sky by people throwing shoes and clothing:

In another clip, the drone is not visible, but the hockey fans can be heard chanting, "We got the drone! We got the drone!" The person who uploaded that video to Facebook included a description that said it showed fans rejoicing after taking down "the LAPD drone that was hovering over the KINGS CHAMPIONSHIP Celebration."

As of this writing, the LAPD has not responded to multiple requests for comment from Business Insider asking whether they lost a drone outside the Staples Center Friday night. Of course, with no official response, it is impossible to confirm whether the drone in the video did indeed belong to the police. However, the LAPD did recently acquire drones.

Late last month, the LAPD announced it was given two "unmanned aerial vehicles" by the Seattle Police Department. At the time, the department said it wouldn't engage in widespread surveillance with the aerial vehicles and would only employ them for "narrow and prescribed uses" including; hostage situations, barricades, and suspect searches. On June 5, in response to criticism over the department's potential drone usage, LAPD Chief Charlie Beck said he would seek input from privacy advocates and civil rights groups before deploying the unmanned aerial vehicles.

"We're going to thoroughly vet the public's opinion on the use of the aerial surveillance platforms," Beck said.

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